Distinctive dinnerware for country houses and seashore homes... (from a Wright, Tyndale and van Roden advertisement circa 1915)

{HISTORY}

Made in France by Theodore Haviland and imported to Philadelphia, PA to the luxury retail store of Wright, Tyndale and van Roden, these colorful dinner plates were made in the 1920s and feature a beautiful floral motif. 

In business since 1842 when it was originally known as Steele Bros. Wright, Tyndale and van Roden officially changed names in 1844 and grew to become the preeminent retailer of glassware and china in the Mid-Atlantic region. A glamorous staple in the city where shoppers could always expect beautiful serving ware displayed in a beautiful environment, shopping at W.T.vR. was always a creative, stylish, and artistic affair. Known for their multi-floor presentation and beautiful displays, their distinctive dishware was imported from the finest pottery makers in Europe. Their long-standing relationship with the famous Haviland family of Limoges, France represented such a collaboration. 

This dinner plate pattern is known as Coromandel and features big, blousy flowers in red, blue and yellow with an intricate border of blue, yellow and black flowers. Very hard to find now in dinner plate size, these time travelers are a gorgeous representation of the Art Deco era meeting up with exotic, transcontinental design aesthetics.

Coromandel is a coastal region in India, a volcano in New Zealand and a Polynesian tribal name. Which was this dish pattern inspired by? The coastal region of India! A 1927 advertisement by Theodore Haviland describes the inspiration behind this beautiful pattern... 

"Vivid as tropical coloring. Low-lying, harborless, beaten by the sea and monsoon, the Coromandel Coast of India is nevertheless renowned for matchless pearls, luxuriant flowers and ivory-blue combers which border it. No name could be more appropriate, therefore for this marvelous Theodore Haviland design which translates that colorfulness into fine china. " (Theodore Haviland advertisement in Good Housekeeping magazine Dec. 1927)

Photo of the Wright, Tyndale and von Roden storefront courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer, December 4th, 1927

 {SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Matching set of two dinner plates

- Porcelain

- Colors include tomato red, silver, pale gold, blueberry, cornflower, mint green, concord grape, lavender, pale pink, and almond

- Stamped on back with the manufacturer mark, pattern name, and distributor info

{CONDITION}

In lovely antique condition. All the colors are bright crisp and clear. There are no chips or cracks on either plate. There is some light rubbing in spots on the silver inner circle stripe and the gold edge around the rim. One plate has a few minor utensil marks in the center area on the red flower. Other than that, these plates are in gorgeous shape shape considering their 100 years of age. 

{SIZE}

Each plate measures 10.25" inches in diameter and weighs 1.6  lbs

{STYLE IDEA}

Pair these plates with a vintage Indian cookbook, and you'll have a little dinner party for two in the making.